Chapter 54: A Detailed Conversation |
Chen Dafu was only 25 years old.
He dressed plainly, his clothes sourced from cheap market stalls, and his unkempt beard gave him a somewhat messy and scruffy appearance.
Despite being a seemingly ordinary young man, Chen Dafu was born into a wealthy family. His father was a renowned real estate developer with a multitude of other ventures under his name.
In simple terms, Chen Dafu was a second-generation heir of substantial wealth.
However, unlike typical heirs, he was determined from a young age to make a name for himself without relying on his father.
His wealthy father scoffed at this ambition and casually threw him 5 million yuan, challenging him to start his own business.
And then...
The money was nearly all swindled away.
Chen Dafu’s overly trusting nature led him to believe in people who turned out to be nothing but con artists.
The man then disappeared without a trace—along with the money and the supposed pagers.
Furious, Chen Dafu eventually tracked the scammer down, only to be persuaded again.
The scammer said, "I’ve reconsidered; pagers aren’t the way to go. Let’s venture into food! Fried chicken and burgers are all the rage abroad, but we’ll revolutionize the market with a high-end chain of roujiamo shops and even export them!"
After mulling it over, Chen Dafu found the idea plausible.
Excitedly, he scouted locations, opened stores, and invested heavily in advertising and staff training.
The chain initially gained traction with its slogans of “authentic flavors,” “organic ingredients,” “high nutrition,” and “better value.”
But soon after, negative news surfaced about unhygienic kitchens, employees spitting into minced meat, and scratching their feet while working.
Forced to rectify these issues, the business’s reputation tanked, and sales dwindled until the stores had to shut down.
Heartbroken, Chen Dafu felt disillusioned by his repeated naivety and the scams that followed.
Resigned, he opened a small bookstore with a brand-new computer, spending his days watching TV and gaming—a routine that lasted for a year.
Bored with the monotonous lifestyle, he eventually decided to return home and inherit his family’s business.
Before losing his cherished freedom, he planned to travel and enjoy himself. To keep the bookstore running, he sought a clerk to manage it—profits didn’t matter as long as the shop stayed open.
It was during this hiring process that Chen Dafu met Liu Changqing.
Chen Dafu had a vivid impression of Liu Changqing.
His family had loose ties to Ye Rong, and he had seen Liu Changqing’s ex-wife, Li Wanran, and her mother at a banquet. Even from a distance, Chen Dafu was struck by how Liu Changqing seemed more like a servant to that family than a husband.
Especially Ye Rong.
Something about her pretentious demeanor and self-styled high-society airs made Chen Dafu instinctively dislike her.
The disdainful glances she cast at others only deepened his aversion.
Sometimes, a single look was enough to dislike someone.
So when Liu Changqing applied for the clerk position, Chen Dafu was astonished.
Learning later that Liu Changqing had divorced and was raising two children on his own, Chen Dafu saw the haggard, lifeless man who seemed utterly broken by those two women.
Out of a mix of pity and curiosity, he hired Liu Changqing.
A few days ago, Liu Changqing called him unexpectedly, saying he had something to discuss.
Coincidentally, Chen Dafu had returned to the city after a brief vacation and agreed to meet.
Approaching their meeting place, Chen Dafu dialed Liu Changqing’s number. Before he could speak, Liu Changqing’s voice came through the receiver:
"Hello, Mr. Chen, are you here yet?"
When Liu Changqing arrived at the private dining room, Chen Dafu had already ordered the dishes.
Apologetically, Liu Changqing took a seat, offering a casual excuse.
“Sorry about that—I was dropping my kids off at school, so it took a bit longer.”
“No problem. Kids are a handful, totally understandable. I only just got here myself,” Chen Dafu replied, pouring himself a cup of tea from the pot on the table’s turntable.
Chen Dafu knew Liu Changqing, but Liu Changqing had no idea who he was.
Sipping his tea, Chen Dafu got straight to the point.
“So, what’s this about?”
Liu Changqing appreciated the straightforwardness. When they first met, he realized Chen Dafu wasn’t one for beating around the bush and even showed him unexpected warmth. Liu Changqing never understood why but didn’t dwell on it.
Smiling, he pulled a pack of good-quality cigarettes from his pocket, offering one to Chen Dafu.
After lighting up and taking a deep drag, Liu Changqing finally spoke.
“I wanted to ask if you’re willing to sell your bookstore.”
“Huh?”
Startled, Chen Dafu nearly dropped his cigarette.
“You want to buy my bookstore?”
“Yeah,” Liu Changqing nodded.
When he had applied for the bookstore job, Liu Changqing had already scoped out its location.
It was in a prime spot, with two schools just across the street. If Chen Dafu had partnered with the schools to supply study materials and taken a cut, the bookstore might not have fallen into decline.
Chen Dafu pondered Liu Changqing’s words for a moment before asking bluntly, “You’re not much older than me. Mind if I call you Old Liu?”
“Go ahead.”
“Alright, Old Liu, you want to buy my bookstore… but do you have the money?”
Staring directly at Liu Changqing, Chen Dafu’s curiosity was evident.
He couldn’t reconcile how a man who had endured so much from that peculiar family could suddenly want to purchase a store.
“It’s not like I’m rolling in cash, but I’ve saved up a bit. I can’t just remain a clerk forever—I have two kids to raise.”
Liu Changqing chuckled, unaware that Chen Dafu already knew who he was.
“I’m actually a novelist. I’ve been serializing a story online called Battle Through the Heavens. You should check it out sometime. It’s doing alright, and I’ve managed to earn some money from it.”
Downplaying his success, Liu Changqing avoided bragging but made it clear he wasn’t broke.
Even in this world with strong copyright protections and minimal piracy, website royalties were still abysmal. For a 3,000-word chapter, a single reader’s subscription brought in less than three cents, and platforms took a significant cut.
Though Battle Through the Heavens was performing well, making seven or eight hundred thousand yuan a month was unrealistic in this era. Earning tens of thousands monthly was achievable, though.
Chen Dafu was initially shocked but grew skeptical.
This guy? Writing novels?
Pulling out his stylus-equipped smartphone, he awkwardly tapped around until he found the novel’s details.
At first, nothing seemed remarkable—until he saw the top reward on the leaderboard.
“Over 10 million?!”
“Take off two zeros.”
“Oh…”
Unfazed by the adjusted figure, Chen Dafu relaxed. Tens of thousands didn’t impress him much.
Still, he noticed that Liu Changqing’s overall demeanor seemed significantly more spirited than when they first met.
Intrigued, Chen Dafu asked, “So, what do you plan to do with the store?”